Moby-Dick in saturday morning cartoons

One result of Moby-Dick being so entrenched in American culture is that practically anyone can make a Moby-Dick reference or joke. It's not unusual to hear the novel name-checked in shows like the The Simpsons and Parks and Recreation, and the jokes tend to work whether a given viewer has read the book or not. More surprisingly, Melville's novel has also provided material for several shows pitched at much younger viewers. Below are a few examples of Moby-Dick turning up in saturday morning cartoons over the years.

Johnny Bravo, "Moby Jerk"

A 1999 episode of the Cartoon Network classic Johnny Bravo features a Moby-Dick riff entitled "Moby Jerk". As in most episodes of the show, the plot follows Johnny on his monomanical quest for babes: Johnny wins a free trip aboard a luxury ocean cruise, with the promise of fine dining, world-class entertainment and, more importantly, "cute single women." ("Women? That's slang for 'babes'. When do we leave?"). Things go awry when Johnny mistakenly boards the wrong vessel, becoming embroiled in Captain McSpleen's unholy hunt for a foul-mouthed mermaid (merman?) named Moby Jerk.

Watch the full episode here: http://dai.ly/x3dir65

Tom and Jerry, "Dicky Moe"

In what is probably the most faithful of the cartoon adaptations I found, Tom and Jerry are find themselves victims of impressment aboard the Kumquat, captained by a scarred and peg-legged captain hell-bent on hunting a white whale named Dicky Moe. Some pretty standard Tom and Jerry antics ensue. Except, ya know, more nautical themed. In one of the most direct references to the novel out of the bunch, Tom at one point becomes lashed to the whale's side, a la Fedallah. 

Watch the full episode here: http://onlineplayer.eu/Tom-and-Jerry/dicky-moe-122.html

"Moby Dick and the Mighty Mightor"

In what is probably the most bizarre of Moby-Dick's TV adaptations, Moby Dick and the Mighty Mightor, the white whale turns up not as an antagonist but as a loyal and lovable pet. The Hanna-Barbera cartoon, which ran from 1967-1969, chronicles the adventures of two scuba-diving youths named Tom and Tub, who are also joined by their pet seal, Scooby. Together, the gang face off against all manner of deep-sea danger, including massive underwater spiders, lizard people, and a giant clam.
In one of my favorite pieces of TV trivia, Moby Dick and Scooby were both voiced by Don Messick, who would later voice Scooby-Doo.

I couldn't find a video of the show's opening narration, but here is a copy from TV.com:

When a typhoon suddenly strikes Tom and Tubb are swept miles away from their uncle's vessel "The Sea Explorer" and find themselves in uncharted waters surrounded by menacing sharks. When all seems lost, they are rescued by the giant white whale, Moby Dick. Tom and Tubb happily realize they have found a new friend who will protect them as they face the perils of the deep together. 

The Moby Dick cartoons shared their 30-minute runtimes with the Mighty Mightor, a sort of prehistoric He-Man prototype.


I wasn't able to find any full episodes online, although the entire series is available on DVD.